Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah
Question: Assalamu alaykum
Recently my younger brother was recently diagnosed with Epilepsy. He is now on tablets which could possibly be for an entire lifetime.
Is there any Prophetic remedies you can suggest in regards to his condition?
Answer: In the Name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate
Thank you for your question. I hope this answer finds you and your family in the best of states. May Allah make things easy for you all.
EPILEPSY
Epilepsy is an ancient illness, well known to the Greeks and previous nations. In Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim we find the well-known hadith from ‘Ata bin Abi Rabah,
‘Ibn ‘Abbas once said to me, “Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “This black lady came to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered. Please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet said (to her), ‘If you wish, be patient and you will attain Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he (peace and blessing be upon him) invoked Allah for her.’
We can see from this hadith that the reward of the one who bears such a condition, as well as those who care and support him, is tremendous.
PROPHETIC MEDICINE
What we know and read of the ‘Prophetic Medicine’ is not a complete system of medicine. While the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) certainly did lay down general principles to follow, and did recommend certain foods for specific ailments or benefits that are important to note, they do not form a complete body of practical medical knowledge.
Therefore, what we find in the books of ‘Prophetic Medicine’, such as Suyuti’s and Ibn Jawziyyah’s books, is a heavy reliance on Unani (Greek) medicine, burrowed predominantly from the ‘father of modern medicine’, Hippocrates (while many modern ‘Prophetic Medicine’ courses consist of mainly Chinese medicine). These are then supported by sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), not all of which have been corroborated. In many cases, specifically for chronic illness, the herbs or foods mentioned in such books are certainly of interest, but as they are currently presented, offer little practical use for most people, including the physician.
As an example, in Suyuti’s ‘Medicine of the Prophet’ book, Suyuti recommends for epilepsy, drinking warm water and sniffing the Narcissus plant (Daffodil). This could be useful if tried, but without further information, it would be difficult to assess its benefits.
DU’A
The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) would make du’a over people when they were ill. The following maybe helpful to you.
Dua for Healing/Cure from Sickness
The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) used to read and blow over those who were ill with the words:
اَللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ مُذْهِبَ الْبَاسِ اِشْفِ اَ نْتَ الشَّافِىْ لاَ شَافِىْ اِلاَّ اَ نْتَ شِفَاءً لاَيُغَادِرُ سُقْمًا
O Allah, Lord and Sustainer of mankind, remove his difficulty and cure him. You are the only One who cures. There is no cure but Yours. Grant such (complete) cure that leaves no trace of illness. [al Bukhari].
Treatment for a person who loses his sanity
In al Hisnul Hasin, it states that Surah al Fatihah should be recited in the morning and evening and ‘blown’ over the patient.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Most alternative natural therapies take a holistic approach to treating disease, including severe illnesses such as epilepsy. Successful natural treatment can often mean that seizures are less frequent and intense, and that over time, the person may be able to diminish or stop taking anticonvulsant medication (though this must only be done by, or with the supervision of, the patient’s conventional doctor and never by the alternative practitioner alone). One would need to carefully seek out qualified and experienced alternative practitioners. Therapies you may want to look into are, constitutional homeopathic treatment, naturopathy, orthomolecular medicine, and nutrition.
I sincerely wish your brother a healthy and fulfilled life, and that Allah grants you all ease, and reward for any hardship you experience.
Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah
Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.